Hi folks. I'm writing this thang up one a break from my carpentry work. Tonight's Daily Nature Fix is about a beautiful, lush oasis found in what's pretty much the most inhospitable places in North America: Death Valley. On the last day of our camping trip there, my buddy and I spotted a tiny indicator found on only one of the three maps we had. It said "Darwin Falls". After being all around the desert park for nearly a week, we figured there was no way it could have meant a waterfall. There's a lot of dry falls in the areas that cut off canyons and trails, so we though maybe it was just a huge one or something. One worth putting on a map anyway. We went to check it out. Before long, we saw rare sight while on the trail to the location: greenery.
Until this point, the only plant life we really saw was scrub grass, a few cacti, and the occasional Joshua tree. Ahead on the trail before us, the tops of actual trees started popping up. Various tall grasses came into view as we got closer as well.
A real surprise came as we rounded a bend and started to see wet soil and even a few puddles. We could hear water running nearby and found a small stream deep inside the weeds and grass. Prior to that, the only water we really found on the trip was largely uninhabitable pools like Devil's Hole or Badwater Basin.
After nearly another mile of hiking and following the small creek, we began to hear loud water. A sound that was immediately familiar to us. It was a waterfall. It was clear now that Darwin Falls was, indeed, a real waterfall. After tramping our way through an area of thick underbrush and trees, the waterfall came into sight.
It was hard to believe what I was looking at, considering where we were. A beautiful 25 foot waterfall dropping down a massive stone ledge, splitting it's path over the top of an angular boulders just feet before entering the large pool of water at it's base. It was very inviting. I considering taking a swim, but we had places to go. I'm sure lots of other folks take a dip here though. Not many swimming opportunities in Death Valley!
*** These daily blogs showcase the natural world. It is all original content using photos, stories, and experiences from my own travels. ***Thanks for reading! I post a nature-themed Daily Nature Fix blog every day. Please upvote if you enjoyed it and resteem if you found it especially interesting! Be sure to follow me @customnature so you'll never miss out on your nature fix! See you tomorrow. - Adam
nature's beauty is unexplainable, good care and preservation is best to do.
I agree.
It looks like a nice area to cool off.
For sure. I didn't dip more that just my hands in, but I woulda took a swim if we had more time.
Nice
Are you kidding? This is great! I've never heard of this place before and probably wouldn't have believed it if i wasn't looking at the photos! ; )
Seriously. After a few days in one of the driest places in the world, this was a huge surprise.
Coming across it would seem almost magical out there
Holy Night!
I need to see this place...hint hint.
I don't know, man. I'm 100% certain there wasn't cell service at the falls. 😂
Excellent nature photography...
my dear lovely friend @customnature..
It's refreshing to see these beautiful nature photos especially now when outside it is snowing constantly even though it's the end of March. I wish I could be there 😃
The waterfall looks so refreshing, I love that! :D
That would be rather amazing to find in the desert! Beautiful photos!
Nice, never heard of Darwin Falls. Joleen was just telling me last night that she talked to one of her couples and they were going on about how much cool stuff there is to see in Death Valley.
Also where the highest temp on Earth was recorded 😎
Awesome find! I never woulda thought these pics would be from Death Valley. Your adventurous spirit rewarded Adam!
Its too cool the way the waterfall splits over the triangle rock. Kinda like Darwins theory of evolution. Nice find, probably a life saver to past travelers. I wonder if there's any artifacts from earlier times.
This rock under the small waterfall looks like a little volcano island. Wonderful shots, as always":)